The present invention relates to a sheet feed device for use in an image recording apparatus, and more particularly, to such a device for feeding each one of the cut sheets through a manual sheet feed operation.
In a conventional image recording apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer, sheet members such as image transfer sheets and image recording sheets can be supplied to an image forming section through a sheet feed path by an automatic sheet feed means, if large numbers of the sheets having standardized size are used. On the other hand, a sheet having a size which is not frequently used for the image recordation may be supplied manually by an operator one by one through a manual sheet feed means.
In the image recording apparatus, in order to detect a sheet jamming where the sheet is not regularly transferred during feeding due to clogging, a sheet detector is disposed at the sheet feed path. With this system, judgment of sheet jamming is made if the sheet is not detected by the sheet detector after an elapse of a predetermined period counting from a start of the sheet feed operation, and such jamming is externally displayed.
In such conventional image recording apparatus, if the sheet jamming occurs, the jamming sheet must be removed. However, if a sheet whose small length is insufficient for sheet feeding is fed through the manual sheet feed means, the sheet jamming is detected after such small length sheet is completely supplied into the sheet feed path. Therefore, it would be impossible to remove the sheet from a side of the manual sheet feed means.
To avoid this, the image recording apparatus must have a structure capable of temporarily providing an open state of the sheet feed path so as to remove the jamming sheet at the sheet feed path. Therefore, the resultant apparatus has a complex construction, and the operator is obliged to carry out such troublesome sheet removing work which thus lowers operability. Further, even if the sheet has a sufficient length for the sheet feeding, such sheet removing work may be required if clogging occurs due to any reasons.